I disagree 100%. They change all the time depending on what cookies you have stored in your browser. You can prove it very easily by using two different browsers. For example, let’s say you’re using Firefox and you get a price change that looks suspicious like that. Just bring up the same site and search with IE or Chrome, and often you will see the original, cheaper price quoted. You can do the same thing by deleting cookies, but it can be tricky to pick the right ones to remove sometimes.

Travelocity does sneaky stuff all the time, and it seems like it started when they were bought by Expedia. I have clicked to book a hotel room and the room is suddenly not available at that price, and they tell me to search again or offer the room for a slightly (sometimes very) higher price. Just for kicks I will do the same search on a different browser and voila–the room is magically available again at the lower price!

Exactly. Similar things happen when checking air fares. And if a dealer lists a car for sale at $10,000, but when you come look at it, they raise it to $12,000, the government would fine or shut them down.

I’m paranoid too, I bring currency of the place we’re going just in case our Schwab cards fail. I also do what mikki does of scanning important travel docs and emailing it to myself/DH for easy retrieval in case of theft/loss. DH (jack of all trades) made a contraption since he’s paranoid about hotel safes so he made something that won’t affect/destroy the safe but make sure it won’t be easy to open by anyone. I’m telling him to go to shark tank to show his invention and who knows, he can get one of the sharks as business partner. LOL (j/k, he’s not interested to make a biz out of it).

Hey I had a quick question, has anyone, or does anyone have an recommendations on tipping the front desk in order to hopefully get a better room or suite at check in. I have heard rumors that this works. I am going during the slow season of December and was hoping to get a nicer room. Any help would

@upinworld Well I had typed up a long answer and I navigated accidentally to a different page and lost it! Bottom line is it’s hard for us to answer your question without knowing more about your personal likes/dislikes.

So, here is a VERY generic, generalized list of ideas to get you started.
*Trains are great for scenery - very old world feel to them although they are modernized of course

Youth hostels - “back in my day” the cut off age was 35 so check if there is an age limit. Years ago I stayed in 3, and loved each of them…one was formerly a castle. I even loved the dank, damp, musty old London Boys Choir hostel for its flavor and character. They are all over the world. Study up on hostels - they are not for everyone!
If you are a girl check out https://www.thelmandlouise.com/en-gb/
If you love history - Europe, any and all of it. If heading to Europe learn how to read a train timetable.
Do you want a guided tour or a do-your-own-thing trip? They both serve their purposes; they both have pro’s and con’s.
I use tauck.com which is a river-cruise only tour operator to garner ideas and build a wishlist; they send gobs of catalogs.
Is there a concert you’d love to go to in city you’d love to visit? Combine the 2.
Are you traveling alone or looking for a travel buddy? There are travel clubs where you can connect with people also traveling alone.

I think if I were you, I’d buy a world map and some pushpins and start narrowing down what destinations are important to you? Then set a goal, 1 or 2 destinations x year. Build your savings up for this; you’ll be glad you did.

So basically, this is the web, and this is a free forum – you get what you pay for. If those didn’t spur any ideas or thoughts for you…at the very least you can go to the library and check a few travel books out.

I agree do not rent a car, unless you have a specific need for it. In London, the streets will be confusing, they drive on the left (more confusing) and you’ll have a hell of a time parking it. The metro goes everywhere a tourist would want to go. Use that.

If you don’t use a tour company, look at sites like Viator, and plan some day trips from cities you’ll be at.

10 days in the UK you can cover a lot. I suggest splitting half the time around London, and the other half in Scotland, staying in Edinburgh. You can either travel by train between the two cities, or take a plane (about an hour flight). There’s much to do in both areas, but I like London better. Also, you might consider half your trip in London, and the other half in Paris, taking the Eurostar (chunnel train) between the two cities. Arrive from the U.S. in one city and leave back to the U.S. from the other. Between London and Paris, I still like London better.

That’s my two cents. I’ve been overseas 21 times since 2008, and over half of that in Europe. Not once have a considered a car.

Don’t get wound up with trying to save a bit on exchange rates. It’s not worth it. It won’t make any difference in your life. Just enjoy your trip.